Chinese state councilor meets Indian foreign minister

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met Salman Khurshid, India's minister of foreign affairs on Friday, pledging to strengthen the two countries' ties.

Yang noted during the meeting that China and India are both major developing countries with great influence in the world.

The rapid development of bilateral ties in recent years has brought concrete benefits to the two peoples and made contributions to regional and world peace and development, he said.

According to the state councilor, China attaches great importance in developing relations with India and is willing to work with India to implement the important agreements reached by the two state leaders, maintain high-level contact and advance the two countries' partnership.

Meanwhile, he said, China wants to make joint efforts with India to continue to advance the process of border negotiations and safeguard peace and stability in border areas.

Khurshid agreed that cooperation between India and China is important to the two sides as well as to the world.

He said India is willing to work with China to take the opportunity of the exchange of high-level visits to expand cooperation in various aspects, properly handle their differences and open a new chapter in bilateral relations.